Encounter
by Thought
Summary: I don't even know why the frell I thought you would help us. You are still as heartless as you were when you were with the Peacekeepers. ZhaanCrais


Encounter  
  
By: Thought  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, right.  
  
A/N: Takes place during LGM, right after the seen where Aeryn offers herself to Crais. And yes, I know it's a very, very unconventional pairing, and I know that Caliga will never let me live this one down, but the urge to write it just wasn't going away. And I don't think it turned out that well, anyway.  
  
Summary: "I don't know why the frell I thought you would help, you are still as heartless as you were when you were with the Peacekeepers." Zhaan/Crais  
  
She enters the command area of Talyn with a confident stride, though inside she is as nervous as she has ever been. He is there, of course, merely standing, both of his hands pressed to the smooth wall of the little ship. He does not move when she enters, and she wonders, briefly if he is even aware of her presence. He is obviously communicating with Talyn, his body relaxed, his breathing even. She can feel the anger that the little gunship chose Crais over Aeryn deep in her, but it is an old grievance, one which time has dulled to nothing more than a minor distraction.  
  
"Priestess." And any thoughts that he is not fully aware of her are swiftly banished, for he has not made even the slightest movement of his eyes, and she knows that she has not walked into his vision.  
  
"Captain," she speaks with as much determination as she can muster. Crichton needs this ship, and she will not fail him.  
  
"If you are here in an attempt to convince me to stay and help you rescue Crichton, then allow me to inform you that Officer Sun has already tried, and failed in that same venture," he tells her coldly. "Talyn and I will be leaving with in a quarter of an arn."  
  
She clenches her teeth, and takes a deep breath. "What is it that you want?" she asks finally, taking a step towards him.  
  
"I do not want anything but to ensure the safety of myself and Talyn. Participating in this frivolous rescue mission will endanger us both. And for what? To save the man who killed my brother? You will forgive me if I don't seem more enthusiastic."  
  
"It was an accident, Crais! You know that as well as I do!" She can feel the boiling anger just under the surface, and she fights to push it down.  
  
Finally he turns to her, eyes flashing dangerously. He advances on her, and she cannot help but take an involuntary step back at his approach. He continues toward her, each step slow and measured. "Do you know what it is like to lose a family member, Zhaan? Do you have any idea how painful that is?!" She feels the warm wall of Talyn pressing at her back, and she can only watch as the angered captain moves dangerously toward her.  
  
However, trapped as she might be, she has no intention of letting him walk out of this without agreeing to assist them. "I killed my lover," she states, eyes masking the painful memories well.  
  
He laughs at her, then, and she feels the first stirrings of fear. "That is quite different, I assure you of that."  
  
"My father!" she snaps, anger tinting her voice as she closes the distance between them, standing scant centimeters from his well-sculpted body. "An innocent man, killed by Peacekeepers!"  
  
"I highly doubt he was innocent," he retorts dryly. "I've heard that you can be rather violent, yourself. I'm sure you got it from the man who raised you."  
  
Her eyes widen at this blatant slander of her dearest father, and before she can think her actions through, she is pounding at him, raining fierce blows down upon his chest, shoulders, face, anything she can strike. He allows this for about ten microts, then catches her wrists, and moving in a fluid, graceful manor, has her pinned to the wall before she can do anything to stop him. She wrenches her hands free of his grip, but does not resume her assault, rather simply glaring silently at the man before her.  
  
"Do you know what Officer Sun offered me, Priestess?" he whispers, speaking her title mockingly, as if she is not deserving of it.  
  
"Not much, I'm sure. Aeryn could not be desperate enough to give you anything you could really want," she snarls. "I don't even know why the frell I thought you would help. You are still just as heartless as you were when you were with the Peacekeepers."  
  
He stares down at her for a long moment, before he murmurs, "I am not the same man I was then." And then his lips are on hers, and his arms are about her, pulling her flush against his body. She whimpers, knowing that this is wrong on so many levels, yet not willing to make it stop quite yet. He presses her back against the wall, but when she opens her mouth to him, he pulls back, stepping back from her.  
  
"I suggest you get off my ship. We are leaving, and you would not want to be stuck here, I imagine."  
  
She blinks at him, still dazed, still not quite comprehending what has just happened. And then hot white rage bubbles up inside of her, and she spins on her heal, stalking out of Talyn's Command with as much as pride as she has left. He watches her thoughtfully until she is out of sight.  
  
Later, when everything is over, and John is back onboard, safe from Scorpius, at least for the moment, Zhaan lies awake in Stark's arms, listening to his breathing. She has not spoken privately to Crais yet, and doubts that she will have the nerve, or, even the desire by the time the night is out. Her lips still burn from his kiss, and she feels her skin tingle at the thought of him. She tries to remember every cruel thing the Peacekeepers have ever done to her, what atrocities Crais himself must have committed, how much she despises the Peacekeepers. Even so, thoughts of Crais will not leave her. And she tries not to remember the suspicious way that Stark had treated her ever since the encounter with the captain. That night, Zhaan's pillow is soaked with tears, and when Stark awakes the next morning, he is shocked to find Zhaan pressing her face into his chest, murmuring disjointedly how sorry she is for... something. 


End file.
